Arsenal defender Ben White will return to the England national team with Harry Maguire out through injury.
According to the Guardian, the 23-year-old centre-back is in line to replace the £80m Manchester United captain for England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary. White has impressed in recent weeks for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta labelled the defender as ‘really good’ following a pre-season match against Tottenham in the summer.
Alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, the duo have conceded just one goal in the previous three Premier League games. White joined Arsenal in a £50m deal from Brighton and Hove Albion following the departure of David Luiz.
With White regarded for his ball-playing qualities, it makes sense why England have identified the Arsenal star as a player to replace Maguire. John Stones, who is a similar player to the Gunners defender, has thrived for the Three Lions in recent months.
Indeed, a call up for White is also a testament to how much the defender is rated by the English coaching staff. The Brighton star was part of the Euro 2020 squad that made it to the final.
With Bukayo Saka likely to retain his place in the England squad, Arsenal are once again starting to gain some kind of presence in the national team. For years, the Three Lions was largely devoid of players representing the red half of north London.
Yet now with Saka and White and potentially the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Emile Smith Rowe, the Gunners could have an English core in both the national team and in Arteta’s squad.
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